Second Chance
by steampunkqueen2489
Summary: A story about my oc, Akira Inaba
1. Chapter 1: The Mission

()this is a story telling about my Mortal Kombat oc, Akira Inaba.

Part 1

The Mission

"Is that understood?" Mileena said, her steely yellow eyes focused on her.

"Yes, Mileena." she said, nodding to her.

"Then, go." Mileena said. She nodded again and prepared to head to Earthrealm. With Shao Kahn dead, Mileena was in charge of her now. She and Mileena were Shao Kahn's most skilled assassins, though he always had a special place in his heart for Mileena. He had always considered Mileena his daughter, his true heir. Akira herself had always been just a tool for him to command, and someone who's loyalty he had never fully trusted. So, naturally, Mileena became the one giving the orders after his death. Akira had thought about leaving since Shao Kahn's death, but, honestly, she had spent most of her life as an assassin, she knew nothing else. There was nothing left out there for someone like her. She had too much blood on her hands to ever redeem herself. She had accepted this long ago, and resigned herself to her fate. This was what she was, what she always would be. Mileena was sending her on an espionage mission to spy on Earthrealm. Akira gathered her weapons, twin kusarigama which she wore one on each hip, and walked through the portal to Earthrealm. Akira was actually born in Earthrealm, in Japan. Her father was Japanese, a member of the Shirai Ryu. He died when she was eight years old, and she hadn't been back to Earthrealm since. Akira's mother was Edenian, and she then took Akira to Edenia with her. But, Shao Kahn murdered Akira's mother, and, for whatever reason, spared her. He took her and raised her to be one of his assassins. Akira was unsure exactly what she was looking for as Mileena had only said "anything that may be useful". Akira couldn't stand how Mileena had so much hate for Earthrealm and it's inhabitants. As far as she was concerned, Shao Kahn's demise was his own. But, Mileena had always had more loyalty and admiration for Shao Kahn, even calling him "father". He was no relation to Akira. She had real parents, and she would sooner die than consider herself family to Shao Kahn. Above all, Akira still considered herself more Earthrealmer than Edenian, even though she lived in Outworld. She didn't leave Earthrealm by choice, and Outworld was no home to her. She had nothing but bad memories there. Akira silently observed the goings on, and, for a good while, remained unnoticed. Eventually, though, a man spotted her.

"I do not recall seeing you here before. What is your business here?" he asked. He was a Japanese man wearing a yellow and black outfit. He had a beard and mustache, and his long, black hair was worn in a high ponytail with a few strands in the front hanging over the yellow headband that was wrapped around his forehead. Something about him was familiar even though she was fairly sure she had never met him before.

"My business is my own." Akira stated.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept that as an answer." the man said, drawing his sword, "I'll ask you again, what is your business here?" It was then that it finally came to her. Hanzo Hasashi. The man was Hanzo Hasashi, formerly Quan Chi's wraith, Scorpion. That was where she had known of him. But, he was now human again, and free of Quan Chi's control. So, this was what Scorpion, or rather, Hanzo himself, looked like.

"I'm here on Outworld business." Akira answered. Outworld? Hanzo was somewhat surprised by this. This woman standing before him clad in black and orange looked human, unless, of course, she had a set of Tarkatan teeth under that black ninja mask like Mileena.

"Outworld business? Are you not of Earthrealm?" Hanzo asked.

"I was born in Earthrealm. My father was human. But, my mother was Edenian. None of that matters. My parents died a long time ago. All you need to know is that I work for Shao Kahn." Akira said.

"Shao Kahn is dead." Hanzo said.

"That's right. So, now, I work for Mileena." Akira answered.

"With Shao Kahn dead, why do you stay?" Hanzo asked. He was unsure as to why he was even asking, but something urged him to pry further.

"Enough talk. You're Hanzo Hasashi, right?" Akira said.

"You know me?" Hanzo asked.

"I know of you. You were the wraith, Scorpion." Akira said.

"No longer. I am human again." Hanzo said.

"Look, just stay out of my way. Let me do what I came here to do." Akira said.

"You still haven't told me what exactly that is." Hanzo said.

"And, I don't plan on it." Akira said.

"If you work for Mileena, you may be a danger to Earthrealm. In that case, I have no choice but to stop you." Hanzo said.

"If you want to fight, then so be it." Akira said, taking her kusarigama in hand. She ran at Hanzo, slashing at him with her weapons, but he blocked it with little to no effort, and pushed her away from him.

"It doesn't have to be this way, you know." Hanzo said, "Your talents go to waste aiding Mileena."

"What do you know? This is the only thing I'm meant for. I have nothing else. This is all I know." Akira said.

"I know that Mileena is not to be trusted." Hanzo said.

"Shut up!" Akira said, executing a flying kick, to which Hanzo grabbed hold of her foot and slammed her onto the ground. The look in the woman's eyes was not one of evil. It was a look that was all too familiar to Hanzo, the look of someone lost, lonely, and angry.

"You should be fighting for Earthrealm. It is your home, not Outworld." Hanzo said. Akira tripped him with her other leg and got to her feet.

"It's too late for that now. Years too late. I am who Shao Kahn turned me into. Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn't do?" she said. Hanzo then disappeared into a flash of fire, reappearing behind her, holding onto her from behind.

"I am not giving you orders. I am merely trying to convince you." he said. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, holding her in place. Akira stopped struggling for a moment. Convince her? She was used to taking orders for so long. No one had ever tried to convince her to do anything, only ordered her to.

"Of what?" she asked.

"That things can be different for you. That your fate is your own to decide." Hanzo answered. What he was saying made sense. But, what if this was some kind of trick to get her to let her guard down. No, she couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust anyone. Trust is a fatal mistake for an assassin. She struggled to break free of his grasp, but to no avail.

"Let go of me!" she protested.

"Calm yourself." Hanzo told her. She whipped her head upward, hitting him in the jaw with the top of her head. It distracted him, causing him to let go long enough for her to get free.

"Clever." he said. He actually had a slight smile on his face. The woman was clever, he had to admit. Hanzo hurled a fireball at her which she promptly dodged.

"Why should I trust you?" she said.

"I only seek to help you." Hanzo said.

"It's too late for that." Akira said. He ran up to her and used his takedown move, tripping her. He stood above her, looking down at her. He pointed his sword down at her.

"It may feel that way, but it is never too late to change for the better, to start over. I know this too well. I was lost once, just as you are. It is no more too late for you than it was for me." he said. She stared up at him in silence, and he stood unmoving. For the first time in her life, she was truly unsure of what to do. For so long, she had searched for a way out of the miserable life that she led, only to eventually give up hope completely. For a long time, she had felt that there was no way out for her. But, what was stopping her? Shao Kahn was dead. He could no longer hurt her. And, she certainly did not fear Mileena as she had Shao Kahn. Truly, it was only her guilt stopping her, her self pity. How could she live a normal life after all of the people she had killed while serving Shao Kahn? Nothing she could do could make up for that. But, standing here before her was a man who had also sinned, a man who was so consumed by revenge that he offered his soul to Quan Chi. But, though he did so, though, for years, he existed as a wraith driven only by revenge, he had finally turned his life around. He was human again, and had reformed the Shirai Ryu, fighting for Earthrealm's protection. He, like her could not erase the sins of the past, but he was given a second chance. And, he was trying to give her the same.

"Do you yield?" Hanzo asked. Akira was silent for a moment as she stared up at him. Though, it was true, nothing she could do could ever make up for the things she had done in the past, but, that was no reason to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. That vicious cycle would end now. She was being given another chance, and, though she couldn't make up for the things she had done, she swore that she would die trying. She would live the rest of her life as a better person. Why should she let her feeling of guilt, fear of Shao Kahn, or some twisted loyalty to Mileena control her even after Shao Kahn's death. She was better than that. Hanzo was willing to spare her life. Why should she not at least take that opportunity to try and start over again?

"I yield." she said quietly. Hanzo hesitated for a moment, and when he was sure that this wasn't a trick of some kind, he lowered his sword and resheathed it. Hanzo smiled slightly and offered her his hand. She took it, letting him help her up. This was the first time that he had gotten a good look at her, although the bottom half of her face was covered by a black ninja mask. She was of average build, though curvy. She had deep brown eyes, and long, black hair worn in a high ponytail with bangs in the front.

"You seem to know who I am. But, may I ask your name?" Hanzo said.

"Of course. My name is Akira Inaba." she said, bowing to him. Inaba? For some reason, that name sounded familiar to him. He was fairly sure that he had never met her before, so where had he heard that last name before?

"Inaba. Where have Why do I feel as if I have heard that name before?" he asked. She was somewhat surprised. The only explanation that she could think of was that maybe he had heard her father's name before.

"Well, my father, he was a member of the original Shirai Ryu." Akira said. That was it. He had heard the name Hideo Inaba. That was Akira's father.

"Your father died in battle, if I have heard correctly." Hanzo said, "I don't recall hearing anything about you, however."

"When my father died, I went to live with my mother in Edenia." Akira told him.

"I see." he said. He wouldn't pry into her personal life anymore as it was none of his business. But, that made sense as to why he didn't remember hearing about her. Hanzo had always heard that Hideo Inaba was a skilled warrior. It was then that he thought of something. Akira had nothing and no one. He didn't want to leave her out there alone with no allies, no connections, and no idea where to start. Besides, everyone deserves a second chance. He knew this more than most. And, truly, she seemed to be a skilled fighter. If she was even half as skilled as her father was, she would make a great asset to the Shirai Ryu and Earthrealm in general.

"Akira, how would you feel about joining the Shirai Ryu?" he asked her. At first, Akira looked at him with disbelief, almost as if she thought he was joking. But, she could see on his face that he clearly wasn't.

"You're serious." she said.

"Yes." he answered.

"Shirai Ryu, just like my father... I always wanted to, but... But, I don't deserve such an honor." Akira said. Hanzo looked her firmly in the eye.

"You do." he said.

"Are you doing this out of pity?" she asked.

"No, Akira. I do not recruit members for the Shirai Ryu out of pity." Hanzo said, "You are clearly skilled, and in need of a new purpose in life. It would benefit Earthrealm if you would fight for it's protection." Akira smiled, just slightly, but it was the first time she had genuinely done so for as long as she could remember.

"Well, in that case, yes. I would be honored to join the Shirai Ryu, just as my father before me." Akira said. Hanzo could see in her eyes that she was smiling. He found himself wondering when the last time was that she had actually done so.

"Then, it is an honor to have you. Welcome, Akira Inaba." Hanzo said. He led her to the Shirai Ryu temple.

()on a side note, a kusarigama is a weapon composed of a sickle and chain. also, I assume that since the Lin Kuei have a temple, that the Shirai Ryu do, too.


	2. Chapter 2: The Young Apprentice

Part 2

The Young Apprentice

The next day, Akira walked up to see Hanzo training a young boy of about ten years old. He was a skinny young boy, definitely Asian with black hair and dark eyes. She was surprised and slightly confused by the sight. Did the Shirai Ryu really recruit children so young? She knew that Hanzo's son was murdered along with his wife a long time ago, and she had never heard anything about him having a wife or child since. She watched in silence for a few moments before making her presence known.

"Is he yours?" she finally asked. Hanzo looked at her, surprised by her presence. Until that point, he hadn't even realized that she was there. She was wearing a different outfit than she had been the night before. It was similar in style, though the spiked belt was gone, and her current outfit was black and yellow, Shirai Ryu colors. She wasn't wearing her ninja mask at the moment, and Hanzo could see her whole face for the first time. She was definitely attractive. Her looks were mostly Japanese with really no defining Edenian traits. If she hadn't said so, one would never guess that she was half Edenian.

"No. He is the son of a friend. His father cannot be here with him at this time, so he has entrusted me with his care and his training." Hanzo answered.

"Ah. So he's your apprentice." she said. That made sense. Though she wanted to know more, she thought that it would be rude to inquire any further, so she didn't.

"Who's this, Master Hanzo?" the boy asked, looking at Akira.

"Takeda, this is Akira Inaba. She's the newest member of the Shirai Ryu." Hanzo said, "Akira, this is Takeda Takahashi." Akira smiled at the young boy.

"Nice to meet you, Takeda." she said.

"Thanks. You, too." Takeda said. Hanzo couldn't help but stare. There was just something about her, the sparkle in her eyes, the confidence in her voice as she spoke, the way her lips formed a smile. Hanzo was unsure if it was her in particular or whether it was how little interaction with women he had had for so long. But, there was no denying she was attractive. Yet, a part of him felt sorry for her. Maybe he could identify. Maybe her situation reminded him somewhat of his own. Maybe that was why he had been so quick to help her out.

"I'll let you two get back to your training." Akira said.

"Do you want to train with us, Akira?" Takeda asked. Akira smiled. Takeda Takahashi seemed to be quite a spirited kid.

"I don't think so, Takeda. I have some things to do. Maybe another time." Akira answered. She flashed a quick smile at Hanzo before walking away.

"She's pretty, Master Hanzo." Takeda said. Hanzo looked at him, surprised by his observation. He felt slightly uncomfortable as he had been thinking along the same lines.

"Alright, Takeda. It's time for you to get back to your training." Hanzo said, quickly changing the subject.

"Alright." Takeda said, shrugging his shoulders, slightly puzzled by his master's sudden change in demeanor, and the two of them continued training.


	3. Chapter 3: All Work And No Play

Part 3

All Work And No Play

Akira had been with the Shirai Ryu for a few days, and would regularly train with Hanzo and Takeda. Today was no exception.

"Alright, we can take a break for a while." Hanzo said. Akira smiled at him, and Hanzo couldn't help but smile. There was something about being around her that somehow made him feel at peace. There was a lake near where they were training, and Takeda decided to cool off by taking a dip. Akira took off her ninja mask and walked over to the water's edge. Hanzo watched as she crouched down and splashed some of the water on her face. Just then, Takeda swam over to the edge of the water, where Akira was. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the lake. Hanzo ran over to the edge of the water, preparing to scold his student.

"Takeda!" he said sternly. He looked at Akira, who had just reappeared at the surface of the water.

"I apologize for my student, Akira." he said.

"It's fine, Hanzo." Akira told him. It was then Hanzo realized that she was smiling, and, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that she wasn't angry over Takeda's antics. Though, Hanzo still felt that Takeda should apologize to her. Before, he could do anything else, Akira grabbed hold of his leg and pulled him into the water with them.

"Shouldn't have let your guard down." she teased as Hanzo appeared at the surface of the water. She was smiling and Takeda was laughing. Hanzo looked at Akira, his brown eyes wide with surprise. She really was full of surprises, he thought. She laughed and Hanzo couldn't help but smile. He could feel his heartbeat quickening in his chest. This was the first time in a long time he had felt this way. So, long, in fact, it seemed like a lifetime ago. In a way, he guessed, it had been. They didn't go back to training for the rest of the day, even though that had been the plan. The sun was almost setting by the time they got out of the lake and headed back to the temple. When they arrived at the temple, Hanzo handed Akira a towel to dry off with.

"Thank you." she said as she began drying her hair, "Sorry I distracted you from training."

"There's no need to apologize. It wasn't your fault." Hanzo said, "Besides, there will be plenty of time to train. I think Takeda needed the break."

"Alright." she said, smiling, "I have to say, I think maybe I needed that, too. I honestly can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed myself like that."

"Well, I... I'm glad, then." Hanzo said.

"Well, I'd better go get into some dry clothes." she said.

"Of course." Hanzo said. She smiled at him again before walking off towards her room. The whole time, Takeda just stood there watching, somewhat confused by his Master's recent behavior. He had been in Hanzo's care for two years now, and he had never before seen him act the way he did around Akira. He reasoned that maybe it was just something he didn't understand because it was an adult thing.


	4. Chapter 4: Haunted

Part 4

Haunted

One night, Akira woke abruptly in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She buried her face in her hands, trying to calm herself. Even now that she was trying to start a new life, the nightmares still plagued her. They were only nightmares in the sense that they occurred at night. Really, they were memories that played over and over as she slept, most of the time waking her from sleep. She suddenly heard footsteps approaching her room, and she looked up to see Hanzo standing in the doorway.

"Hanzo. What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I heard a scream and thought you might be in danger." he answered. She hadn't realized that she had screamed, though she wasn't surprised to hear that she had. She felt a somewhat pathetic, like a small child that needed comforting.

"No, I'm fine. It's fine." she said, turning away in hopes that Hanzo would believe her and just leave. A few moments passed, and she could sense that there was still someone in the doorway. She looked over to see that he was indeed still standing there. He was shirtless, and his long, black hair was not in it's usual ponytail, but hanging freely down.

"Are you certain? You sounded unnerved." he said. He didn't want to pry too much into her personal business. But, clearly, there was something wrong. He hoped that, whatever it was, maybe he could provide some sort of comfort, if, of course, she would let him. He wasn't sure why, but it seemed that he was always compelled to help her. She had been with the Shirai Ryu for a few days now, and he had found that she was on his mind quite a bit. Akira was unsure of what she should do. She didn't want to bare her soul to someone that she didn't know very well. But, then, she felt like she could trust Hanzo, and she always felt comfortable around him. Maybe Hanzo was the one person who could understand.

"Well..." she said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. Her black hair was hanging down rather than in it's usual style, a high ponytail with bangs. Hanzo slowly approached her, and she gestured for him to sit down. Once he was sitting beside her on the bed, she began to speak.

"Well, you know I was an assassin for Shao Kahn. Do you know how I ended up with him?" Akira said.

"No." Hanzo answered.

"I mentioned that I was born in Earthrealm, that my father was human, and my mother was Edenian. My father died when I was eight years old. My mother used to be part of the Edenian Imperial Guard. She went back to Edenia and took me with her. But, Edenia was part of Outworld by then. Shao Kahn was it's ruler. He came after my mother because, when he took over as ruler, she fled to Earthrealm. I watched him murder my mother. I was just a kid, eight years old. I just stood there, terrified he'd kill me next. But, he didn't. I don't know why. But he didn't." Akira said. She paused, looking down for a moment before looking again at Hanzo and continuing to speak.

"He took me, made me into just what he wanted me to be, a killer. He controlled me through fear." she said, "I got to be so afraid I just did whatever I was told. I tried to run away once. This is what he did to me." She lifted up the back of her shirt revealing a large scar on her lower back, and in the same spot on the front. Hanzo's eyes widened as he looked at the scar.

"He beat me within an inch of my life. Then, he stabbed me and left me lay there and bleed until I begged for my life and promised I would never disobey him and never try and run away. I was ten years old." she said. She turned to look at him, and in the dim light of the lamp, he could see tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"At that point, I resigned myself to my fate. I knew that was all my life would ever be, all it was worth." she said. Hanzo stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to do. Consoling someone wasn't exactly his strong suit. He wasn't sure that he even remembered how, it had been so long. He did the only thing he could think of. He hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly as a reaction to his touch. He figured that, for a long time, the only time she was touched was when she was being beaten. She was bound to be nervous from human contact. She stared at him, blinking her brown eyes in surprise. Hanzo's hand was so warm. Though, he was no longer Scorpion, the power of fire remained with him, so his body likely ran hotter than most. It didn't bother her any. Strangely, for whatever reason, Hanzo's touch made her feel safe and calm. After a moment, she smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Hanzo." she said, " I really mean it."

"You are welcome, Akira." Hanzo said. She put a hand on his thigh. They stared at each other for a moment, then began to lean in closer to each other. Just as their faces were almost touching, they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They quickly moved away from each other and looked to the doorway to see Takeda appear in the hallway. He looked at them for a moment, blinking his dark eyes.

"Master Hanzo, is Akira alright? I heard her scream." Takeda said. Hanzo cleared his throat.

"Yes, she's... she's fine, Takeda." he said.

"Yeah. I'm alright, now, Takeda. I was having some trouble sleeping. Hanzo came to check on me." Akira said.

"Oh, alright." Takeda said. Hanzo and Akira both stood and walked over to Takeda.

"You'd better get back to bed, Takeda." Hanzo said.

"Alright, Master Hanzo." Takeda said before turning around and walking off down the hall. Akira smiled, although she was fairly disappointed at the interruption. Hanzo began to walk away, but, he then suddenly turned around and kissed her forcefully on the lips. She was shocked. She had expected him to just return to his room. But, she knew that this was what she had wanted, so she kissed him back. When they broke the kiss, they smiled at each other before Hanzo returned to his room and Akira returned to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

()later in this chapter, there will be mature content.

One night, about a week later, Akira was awakened by a noise outside. She grabbed a lantern in one hand and her weapon in the other, and went to investigate. At first, everything seemed quiet, almost too quiet. It was somewhat unsettling. After a moment, she thought she saw a figure moving in the darkness. Before she could react, something or someone jumped out at her, pinning her to the ground. She kicked the person off and got to her feet. In the light of the lamps that were hanging outside the Shirai Ryu temple, she could make out the face of her attacker. Her eyes widened, surprised by who she saw standing before her.

"Mileena...?" Akira said.

"Akira, you traitorous witch!" Mileena hissed.

"That's why you're here? You think I betrayed you?" Akira asked.

"My people told me that you had betrayed me, that that was the reason you never returned to Outworld. I didn't believe them. I had to see for myself. But, then, I tracked you here and found that they were right." Mileena said.

"It's not betrayal. I just want a different life. You may be happy with the way things are, but that was never the life I wanted. I was never given a choice." Akira said.

"You betrayed me! You betrayed my father!" Mileena said.

"He's not your father, Mileena. Shang Tsung created you." Akira said.

"Shao Kahn raised me and chose me as his heir! He is my father!" Mileena said.

"Well, he's sure as hell no family to me!" Akira said.

"My father spared your pathetic life, and this how you repay him?" Mileena said.

"He murdered my mother! I had a life! I had a family!" Akira yelled.

"You were pathetic! My father made you strong!" Mileena yelled back at her.

"I was a kid, Mileena! I was eight years old!" Akira shot back. Just then, someone stepped out of the shadows from behind Akira. It was Hanzo.

"Mileena, you come here looking for trouble? Well, you have found it." he said. His fists began to glow with flame.

"Hanzo." Akira said, staring at him. She didn't want to drag Hanzo into what she felt was her problem. She hadn't counted on Mileena coming after her or Hanzo getting involved in all of this.

"Scorpion." Mileena growled, "Did you have something to do with this?"

"Akira's choice was her own. I merely gave her another option." Hanzo said.

"You turned Akira against me!" Mileena yelled.

"I rescued Akira from darkness." Hanzo said, narrowing his eyes at Mileena.

"Enough, Mileena. If you don't leave, I'll have to force you to." Akira said.

"You order me, you sniveling little traitor?!" Mileena yelled, running at Akira and tackling her to the ground. The two of them went rolling across the stone walkway of the temple before getting to their feet again. The two women fought for a few moments before Mileena caught Akira off guard, stabbing her in the side with one of her sai.

"Ahh." Akira groaned. She managed to kick Mileena away from her, pulling Mileena's sai out of her side in the process. Mileena went rolling across the ground, and, at this point, Hanzo intervened. He ran at Mileena, and she got to her feet just in time to block his attack.

"You will never strike her again!" Hanzo said. Mileena cocked her head to one side as she looked at him.

"What's this? Is the infamous Scorpion actually feeling love?" she said.

"My life is none of your concern. Now, begone, Mileena. Or I will have to drive you out by force." Hanzo said.

"I'll take that as a yes. Pathetic, Scorpion. You are human again, and so you are weak." Mileena said, "I will kill you as well." She ran at him and the two fought for a few moments. But, Mileena was no match for Hanzo. He was able to drive her off. He then quickly made his way over to Akira, who was still on the ground. She was holding her side, and she was bleeding.

"Akira." he said, placing his hand on hers.

"I'm fine. It's not so bad. I've had much worse." she said, trying to smile through the pain.

"You're bleeding." he said. In spite of what she was saying, he could see that she was losing a decent amount of blood. Nothing severe, but she still needed some kind of medical attention.

"Akira, you need medical attention." he said.

"I don't need medical attention. I'll be okay." Akira said. She had been injured much worse, and she never had been treated by actual medics. It was clear to Hanzo that Akira needed medical treatment. If she was going to be stubborn and refuse attention from medical professionals, Hanzo could see only one thing to do.

"Then, allow me to help you." he said. He knew enough basic first aid that he could clean her wound and bandage it up to stop the bleeding. He picked her up in his arms and carried her into the temple. He took her to her room and sat her down on her bed, then went to retrieve some basic first aid supplies. He returned with the supplies and sat down beside her on the bed.

"Akira, you do not have to be so stubborn. I only mean to help you." he said as he began cleaning her wound.

"I know." she said after a moment of hesitation.

"You are no longer alone, Akira. Just allow me to help you sometimes." he said.

"Thank you, Hanzo." she said, "For everything."

"There's no need to thank me, Akira." he said, "I help you because... because it is my desire, not my obligation."

"I... I appreciate that, Hanzo." Akira said. She watched as he began to bandage her wound.

"I'm sorry to have involved you in my personal business. You shouldn't have had to worry about it. I should have known Mileena would come after me." she said.

"Akira, there is no need for you to apologize. You have done nothing wrong. I am more than happy to aid you with anything you may need. There is no need for you to deal with this alone anymore." Hanzo said, looking her in the eyes, "Akira, I... I care about you a great deal."

"Thank you, Hanzo." Akira said, smiling at him, "I... I feel the same way."

"I am glad to hear it." he said, smiling back at her before continuing to bandage her wound. She watched again as he did.

"I guess I'm going to have another scar." she said.

"It does not take away from your beauty." Hanzo said. His comment took her by surprise. She never expected something like that to come out of his mouth. Wait, was he blushing? He was. She couldn't help but smile. Even he couldn't believe what he had just said. He meant every word of it, it was just that he was afraid that it seemed like such a cheesy thing to say. It had been so long since he had complimented a woman. It had been so long since he'd felt this way about someone. It felt like he was learning it all over again. But, he felt relieved when he looked at her and saw that she was smiling, and that she was blushing as well.

"Thank you, Hanzo." she said.

"You are welcome." he said. They were both silent for a moment before Akira spoke again.

"This is going to sound kind of ridiculous, but, when I was with Shao Kahn, Mileena was really the only friend I had." she said, "It's stupid, but, I guess I kind of felt like she was almost like family." He looked her in the eyes.

"Akira. We could be your family now, the Shirai Ryu, Takeda and myself..."

"Hanzo..." she said, staring at him. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then, slowly leaned their faces towards each other and kissed. Akira placed a hand on Hanzo's bare chest, and her other hand on the back of Hanzo's head, running her fingers through his long hair. Hanzo ran a hand up Akira's arm, up her shoulder, letting it rest on the back of her neck. Forgetting momentarily about her injury, he placed his other hand on her side. She winced, and he immediately drew back.

"I apologize." he said, "I wasn't thinking about..."

"No." Akira said, "Don't worry about it."

"But, your injury..." Hanzo said.

"Don't worry about my injury. It'll be fine." Akira said, kissing him again. She ran one hand up his side and placed her other hand on his face. He placed one hand on her neck and ran his other hand up her thigh. He gently pushed her down onto the bed, positioning himself on top of her. They broke the kiss for air and they looked into each other's eyes.

"Akira, are you certain?" Hanzo asked. For all her strength both mentally and physically, Akira was still somewhat broken emotionally. Her life had not been an easy one. Hanzo knew this. And, though this was what he wanted, he didn't want to take advantage of her in any way or make her do something she wasn't ready for.

"Yes, Hanzo." she said. She ran a hand over Hanzo's muscular chest. He ran his hands up her legs and up her thigh, and eventually took hold of the bottom of her nightgown and pulled it over her head. Akira grabbed hold of Hanzo's pants and pulled them off. They were both now mostly exposed, wearing only their undergarments. He kissed her again and ran his hand up her bare back, and she let out a quiet moan. When they broke the kiss again for air, Akira traced the muscles in Hanzo's chest lightly with her finger. He shuddered slightly, then smiled and began kneading her breasts, one then the other. She let out a contented moan, and he brought his lips to her neck, kissing and sucking, and occasionally biting lightly. She grabbed his underwear and pulled them off, and he did the same to hers. She ran a finger lightly up his thigh, all the way up his shaft. He moaned against her neck and she grinned. He moved his lips to hers, kissing her again. When they broke the kiss, he looked at her for a moment as if making sure once again that she wanted to continue, and she nodded. He lowered himself into her, and she winced at the pain.

"Akira, are you alright?" he asked. The pain was fading now into a feeling of warmth.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she said.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Hanzo." she said, reassuring him with a smile.

"Alright." he said. He then began thrusting, and after a moment, she fell into rhythm, moving with his thrusts. She was holding onto him tightly, and he didn't even notice that her nails were digging into his back. Soon, they climaxed and lay down beside each other. Hanzo pulled the blanket over them, and wrapped his arms around Akira, holding her close. He never dreamed that he could find this kind of happiness again, but his feelings for her were clear. Akira never thought that she could feel this way, that this kind of happiness could never exist for her, or that she deserved it. She had been sure that all she would ever be was an emotionless instrument for killing. But, Hanzo changed her life. And, for the first time, she felt something that she was sure she never could.

"I love you, Akira Inaba." Hanzo said. It felt strange to say it after so long, after he had been sure that he never would again. But, he truly did love her, and the words came so easily.

"I love you, too, Hanzo Hasashi." Akira said. With that, the two of them drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

()I know, crappy lemon is crappy. I really suck at writing lemons. Yet, I keep trying.


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Akira woke the next morning wrapped in Hanzo's strong arms. She looked at his sleeping face and ran a hand gently through his hair, almost as if to reassure herself that this was truly real, and not some sort of wonderful dream to which she would wake and return to her old life. She was happier than she had ever been. Hanzo must have felt the same because he was sleeping peacefully with a smile on his face. After a moment, he stirred and his eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning, Hanzo." Akira said, smiling at him.

"Good morning, Akira." he said, smiling and kissing her. When they broke the kiss, they lay there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Hanzo smiled and sighed.

"I would like nothing more than to lay here with you all day, but I must go and start Takeda's training soon." he said.

"It's fine." she said, "I should probably be getting up, too." They sat up and started to get out of bed, and Akira felt a pain in her side, where her wound was. She winced and put her hand on her side. She could see that it was bleeding just slightly. Their night of passion must have slightly reopened the wound. Hanzo immediately noticed her distress.

"Akira." he said.

"I'm alright. It's just a little sore." she reassured him.

"I knew we should have waited until your wound was healed. I feared you might be reinjured." Hanzo said. He felt somewhat guilty that her wound had reopened. He didn't regret their night, but, he didn't want Akira to be in pain. He would have waited if he had known it would reopen her wound. Akira placed a hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes.

"No, Hanzo. I'm fine. I'm glad we didn't wait." she said, "I'll take care of it after I get dressed."

"Alright." Hanzo finally said, placing his hand on Akira's shoulder. They got up and got dressed, and went to find Takeda. They found him already outside, waiting for Hanzo.

"Master Hanzo, you're late. You're never late." Takeda said.

"My apologies, Takeda." Hanzo said, "I was watching over Akira. She was attacked and injured last night."

"I thought I heard fighting outside last night." Takeda said.

"Very observant, Takeda. You make me proud." Hanzo said.

"Thank you, Master Hanzo. Who attacked Akira?" Takeda said.

"That is of no relevance to you at this time, Takeda." Hanzo answered. He felt no need to go into detail about Mileena at the moment. He also felt that it was no business of his to divulge Akira's chequered past to Takeda, or anyone else for that matter. But, Akira spoke up.

"Someone from my past came after me." she answered, "Someone I used to consider a friend." Hanzo could see a sadness in her eyes as she spoke, and he knew that she was still upset about the way things turned out with Mileena.

"Why did they come after you if you used to be friends?" Takeda said. Akira thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, Takeda, I didn't used to be a very good person. When I met Hanzo, he convinced me to change my ways. Now, I'm trying to live my life as a better person. Mileena, she didn't like that. She felt betrayed." Akira explained, "I know I can't make up for the things I've done in the past. All I can do is try to be a better person from now on." Hanzo felt a tightness in his chest. It pained him to hear Akira talk that way about herself. Sure, she had been an assassin, and she had done some bad things, but she definitely wasn't a bad person. Monsters don't see that they're monsters, they don't feel guilt, and they don't change their ways. Akira saw the error of her ways and changed her ways. That was not something bad people would do.

"So Mileena's not a good person, right?" Takeda asked. Akira looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise at the unexpected question.

"Well, not really, no." she answered.

"You're not a bad person, Akira. I can tell. And, if this Mileena doesn't like you for turning your life around, then she must be a bad person." Takeda said. This took Akira by surprise. She hadn't expected him to say something like that. Hanzo smiled and placed his hand on Akira's shoulder. She couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Takeda." she said, rustling the boy's hair.

"Alright, Takeda. It is time to start your training." Hanzo said.

"Yes, Master Hanzo." Takeda said. And, with that, Hanzo began training with Takeda.


End file.
